Staff: ______________________________________
Date: ____________________
Reference number: ________________

Instructions: The Student Life staff member will initial each item completed. Upon completion, the Student Life member should file a copy of this checklist and forward the original to the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator.

_____ 1. Explain that discussions with the Office of Student Life are confidential, except for the sexual assault survey that will immediately be filed with the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (293-1377), and informing the critical university personnel that have a "need to know basis", including Department of Public Safety (293-3136) who must be notified of all criminal allegations about on-campus activities.

_____ 2. Explain that the information of sexual assault is not kept in the student's permanent academic records.

_____ 3. Inform the student about speaking directly with the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (293-1377) for support in understanding, evaluating, and choosing among the services described in this protocol, and offer to facilitate such a meeting.

_____ 4. Offer several levels of support, depending on what the student reporting an assault needs and chooses.

_____ 5. Offer information concerning the college disciplinary process and the reporting student's option to file charges and that Student Life will help inititate the process. Student Life may initiate the disciplianry process on its own.

_____ 6. Remind the student that he or she may also file criminal charges no matter what action is taken with the university. Make the appropriate referrals to Campus Police, the appropriate off-campus police department and the Prosecuting Attorney's Office.

_____ 7. If necessary encourage the student to go to the Student Health Service or hospital emergency room for medical treatment and offer to accompany the student.

_____ 8. If the reported assault occurred on campus, the staff is oligated to contact the Department of Public Safety (293-3136). If the assault occurred off-campus, the student should be encouraged to go to the local police with jurisdiction (284-7444).

_____ 9. Inform the student about counseling services provided by the university and offer to accompany the student to an appointment if desired .

_____ 10. Ask if the student has a safe place to go. If not, review the student's options for changing rooms and temporary housing.

_____ 11. Share with the student the option of counseling, crisis-intervention and spiritual care through Campus Ministries (292-4061 or 296-0650).

_____ 12. Give the student a copy of the university's sexual assault information brochure.

_____ 13. Refer media/press inquiries to the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator or Student Affairs. This will insure accuracy and consistency.

Your Role as a Victim Contact...

You are a member of a web-like network of trained contacts that includes caring people from Campus Ministries, Carruth Center, Student Health Service, Department of Public Safety, Student Life, Student Organizations, Office of Social Justice, Residential Education, Morgantown Police Department and Rape and Domestic Violence Information Center. Each contact is prepared to offer services to the student and advise concerning other contacts and their services.

The successful contact-victim interaction is one in which the contact has shared information concerning services available to them and the victim feels free to make a choice as to what, if anything should happen next. A good contact person will listen objectively and not blame the victim. Self-blame is common. The victim needs your support, guidance and understanding. Assure them that it was not their fault.

Confidentiality is a very important issue. Discuss the limits to confidentiality prior to discussing the details of an alleged sexual assault. Under no circumstances should the individual be given the impression that the fact that a sexual assault occurred will remain with you. Explain to the victim that basic information about the incident will be shared with the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator. The Coordinator will share the information with those individuals who are on “need to know basis”only. Individuals should discuss the type of information to be released and should obtain a signature regarding the release information and /or have the person sign the bottom of the protocol checklist Only the student’s birth month and day are used as identification. A victim born on February 13th will receive the incident number 132. The victim also needs to be told that you are bound as a WVU employee to share that accusation with Office of Social Justice and Department of Public Safety. Sharing this information with the victim will help him/her stay in control of their case.

The victim of sexual assault may be in shock when you speak with them. They may have trouble staying focused on your instructions. Be patient, speak slowly, and repeat information as necessary. Provide handouts to the victim whenever possible.

OFFICE OF STUDENT LIFE STAFF PROTOCOL

Discussions with the Office of Student Life are confidential, with the exception of the sexual assault report form which the Student Life staff member will immediately file with the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator and informing other critical university personnel that have a need to know, including Campus Police.

The Student Life staff member will encourage the student to speak directly with the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator for support in understanding, evaluating, and choosing among the services described in this protocol, and will offer to facilitate such a meeting. The Student Life staff member will remind the student that all discussions with the Coordinator are voluntary and confidential, although the Coordinator may share information with the Department of Public Safety and may share information with the administration, in cases where an incident presents a clear danger to the community

The Student Life staff member will offer several levels of support, depending on what the student reporting an assault needs and chooses. The Student Life staff can help reschedule tests and other academic requirements.

The Student Life staff can provide information on course withdrawals and medical withdrawals. Changes in living arrangements can also be arranged to reduce the chances of continuing contact between the student and the alleged perpetrator. The Student Life staff member will offer information concerning the university disciplinary process and the reporting student's option to file charges. The student handbook provides details of the hearing process. If the student chooses to file disciplinary charges, the Student Life staff member will help initiate this process Inform the student that the University could also initiate the university disciplinary process on it's own initiative.

The Student Life staff member will remind the student that he or she may also file criminal charges in state court no matter what action is taken within the college. The Student Life staff will make appropriate referrals for the student and his or her family to the Department of Public Safety, the local police or the Prosecuting Attorney's Office. The Student Life staff member will explain that the university process is separate from the state court process.

Student Health Service is available to students Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 PM with the exception of opening 9:30 on Thursdays. Any other times a student needing medical attention should go to the Emergency Room at Ruby Memorial Hospital. Student Health can offer the sexual assault victim a medical examination and consultation, testing for sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy by a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE), and follow-up as needed. If the student requests a sexual assault evidence collection (rape kit), and if within 96 hours of the assault, it can be collected either at the Emergency Room or at SHS. SHS will pay the charges related to administering the kit. At the wish of the victim the evidence may be given to the appropriate law enforcement agency either at this time or later. While in the ER the local crisis shelter, Rape and Domestic Violence and Information Center RDVIC will offer counseling and support to the victim at no cost. The victim may have a support person with them at anytime. The services are voluntary and any procedure can be terminated at any time.

If the reported assault occurred on campus, the Student Life staff member is obligated to contact the Department of Public Safety (293-3136) and recommend that the student file a report and offer to accompany the student; if the assault occurred off-campus, the student should be encouraged to go to the local police with jurisdiction, Morgantown Police Department (284-7444).

The Student Life staff member will inform the student about counseling services at Carruth Center (293-4431), and offer to accompany the student to an appointment. The Student Life staff member will remind the student that all counseling contacts are voluntary and confidential.

Inform the student that the Rape and Domestic Violence Information Center (RDVIC) provides a 24-hour hotline and crisis intervention services (292-5100).

The Student Life staff member will ask if the student has a safe place to go. If not, the Student Life staff will review the student's options for temporary and permanent housing changes.

This Office of Social Justice (293-5496) is also available to all students. This agency works to protect the rights of all students and is available for questions concerning those rights.

The Campus Ministry Center will offer the student counseling support, crisis- intervention services, and spiritual care. All services are strictly voluntary. Appointments can be arranged (292-4061 or 296-0650).

The Student Life staff member will complete the following checklist and retain a copy for the Office of Student Life's files. The Student Life staff member should forward the original to the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator.